Improvement in grain-drills



L. WIGHT a o. e. nwmes.

" GRAIN-DRILL.

No.1-73,380. Patented Feb.8,1876.

WITNESSES INVENTORS.

N-FETERS. PHOTO-UTKOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D. Cv

UNITED 'STATEs PATENT O Ion. I

LYMAN WIGHT AND :QRISON Gr. EWINGS, OF WH ITEWATER, WTSUONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN GR AlN-DRILLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1 73.380, datedFebruary 8, 1876; application filed 1 June 28,1875.

To all whom it may concern Figure 1 represents a side elevation, Fig. 2

a vertical section, Fig. 3 atop-plan view, ofthe reciprocatinginstrument, showing a crosssection of the vertical stem thereof.

Similar letters of reference in the accompanying drawings denote thesame parts.

This invention relates to that class of graindrills, broadcast-seeders,and other machines of a similar character, in which the seed is causedto run from the seed-box into an auxiliary'bowl or vessel, in whichworks an oscillating instrument that by its alternate movements pushesthe requisite quantities of seed up over the edge of the bowl anddischarges them therefrom; and the invention consists in an improvedconstruction of the various parts, as we will now proceed to set forth.

In the drawings, A is the seed-box, from Which the seed runs freely byits own gravity into an auxiliary bowl or open receptacle, B. Within thereceptacle B is the oscillating or --reciprocating instrument 0, which,at every movement in one or bothdirections, pushes a small quantity ofthe seed 'up over the edge of the receptacle, leaving it to drop througha tube, or over a spreader, as the case may-be, to the ground.

The speed and limit of movement of the oscillatin g instrument areintended to be readily adjustable byany suitable means.

For theordinary grain-drill we prefer to construct the auxiliary bowl inone casting, with suitable flanges I), through which it can be screwedto the under side of the seed-box, its end plates being nearly circular,and connected together by a concave bottom plate, b over the edges ofwhich, at e e, the grain can escape to the ground, and to inclosethelower end of this bowl in a funnel-shaped casting, 1", secured to theend plates 1) by rivets,

for the purpose of receiving the grain as it falls over the edges 0 e,and guiding it to the mouth of the drill-tubes at 0, said drill-tubesbeing'attachedto the casting 1" at t. Two inclined plates, m, arearranged in the bowl B, 7

so as to extend from the'bottom of the seedbox down to or below thelevel of the edges 0 e, and thereby prevent the accidental escape andloss of the seed. The oscillating instrument is constructed in asuitable curve, to fit the concave b and with bifurcated'or. notchedends 00, which serve to hedge in the seed that is. to be discharged,prevent its lateral escape, and compel it to move directly forward, anddrop over the edges 6 c. This curved and notched or pronged head isconnected by a stem, 0, to a rock-shaft, D, extending the entire lengthof the seed-box, and. operated by a pitman, P, connected to any suitabledriving mechanism.

For-the purpose of giving the instrument 0 a greater or less movement,as may be desired, the pitman may be connected to an adjustablewrist-pin on the driving-wheel.

The stem 0 may be attached to the rock-shaf by any means ordinarilyemployed for such purposesas, for example, by a set-screw, s.

The movements of the shaft, set-screw, and oscillating instrument 0serve to agitate the seed, and cause it tofeed down uniformly andcontinuously through the opening tinto the bowl B.

It will be observed that the form and construction of this apparatus arevery simple, rendering it inexpensive to manufacture, durable, and notliable to give trouble by getting out of order. The openings, throughwhich the seed is fed, remain constantly the same, and yet the throwofthe seed-discharging instrument can be varied, as desired, so as toregulate perfectly the feed of the grain or other seed. Ordinarily, forgrain-drilling, the adjustment should be such as to cause one throw ofthe discharging-lever while the machine is moving forward over theground about nine inches; but this adjustment may be varied, accordingto circumstances.

We claim as our invention 1. In a seeding-machine, having a seed-box andan auxiliary seed-receptacle, we claim the oscillating seed-discharginginstrument, hav- 2 v nasso ing its operative extremities bifurcated,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

seed-passages under the plates m, and up over the edges 6 e, with thesurrounding receiver r,

2. In a seeding-machine, weclaim the aux adapted to receive the seed andguide it to the iliary bowl B, having the end plates 1), the end of thedrill-tubes, substantially as and for curved bottom [1 the inclinedplates m m, and the passage for the seed under the plates m and over theedges 6 e, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a seeding-machine, we claim the combination of the auxiliary bowlB having the the purposes set forth.

LYMAN WIGHT. I ORISON G. EWINGS. Witnesses:

GEo. N. STEELE, N. H. STEVENSON.

